Jakarta – Police asked participants at a protest action against Special Autonomy (Otsus) in Papua to take Covid-19 rapid tests at the site of the demonstration in front of the Home Affairs Ministry office in Jakarta on Wednesday February 24. The protesters however refused saying it was an attempt to silence them.

Jakarta – Scores of Papuan students held a protest action in front of the Home Affairs Ministry office in Jakarta on Wednesday February 24 expressing their opposition to the extension of Special Autonomy (Otsus) in the land of the Cenderawasih as Papua is known.

Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition has criticised the appointment of a team to review the Information and Electronic Transaction Law (UU ITE) through a decree issued on February 22 by Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD.

Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Chairperson Asfinawati has responded to plans to revise the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law.

Asfinawati said that revisions to the ITE Law are indeed much needed but this is not enough to guarantee freedom of expression.

Jakarta – Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) says revisions to the Information and Electronic Transaction (ITE) Law must be done immediately.

Dicky Agung Prihanto, Jakarta – The Depok city Education Offices has issued a circular banning students from celebrating Valentine's Day, which falls on February 14.

Achmad Nasrudin Yahya, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's statement asking the public to be more active in conveying criticism and input on government performance is not in line with the actual situation.

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – Jakarta Indonesian Doctor's Association (IDI) Chairperson Slamet Budiarto has questioned a statement by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo who said that the government has succeeded in bringing the coronavirus pandemic under control.

Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called for stronger global commitments, in this case from the advanced countries, to tackle climate change. This, said Widodo, is because the impacts of climate change were very real for archipelagic nations like Indonesia.

Nicholas Ryan Aditya, Jakarta – Public policy observer Trubus Rahadiansyah says that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's claim that Indonesia is handling the corona virus pandemic well is intended to prevent the public from panicking. Yet the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise.

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) advocacy division head Muhammad Isnur says that the government often tends to blame the public for its poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jakarta – Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Jakarta) Director Arif Maulana has confirmed the view that the state has played a role in perpetuating racism against Papuans.

Jakarta – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised the government of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo for its weak health response to Covid-19 which has brought Indonesia to its knees since the pandemic started in March 2020.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) recorded 241 cases of agrarian conflicts in Indonesia throughout 2020.

A cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, triggered by the arrest of two ministers for graft allegations and prolonged criticism over several ministers' poor performance – in particular Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic – has brought six new faces to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration.

The Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) and the Papuan Student Alliance (AMP) again launched actions in several parts of the country on December 19. This time the actions took up the theme, "Trikora: The Start of Indonesia's Colonisation of the West Papua Nation".

Jakarta

Haris Prabowo – The total number of people who used their right to vote in the December 9 election of regional heads was low in several parts of the country. In the context of Indonesian politics, those who do not vote – regardless of the motivation and reasons – can be classified as golongan putih or golput.

Man: That's for us isn't it?

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's administration has suffered yet another blow to its once clean image after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara a suspect in a graft case involving the distribution of Covid-19 social aid (Bansos).

Adi Briantika – Police have arrested 15 demonstrators from the Indonesian People's Front for West Papua (FRI-WP) during a protest action at the Bamboo Monument in Sinjai, South Sulawesi.

Text reads:

Democracy in Indonesia dies:

1. If a regional election is won by using racial and religious sentiment like you.
2. If the democratic system is replaced by an Islamic caliphate by your friends.